Farmyard manure, plant based organic fertilisers, inorganic fertiliser - which sustains soil organic matter best?

Legume biomass or pulse meal may be considered as alternatives to farmyard manure (FYM) in organic farms with small scale animal husbandry or in stockless organic farms. From 1996 a field trial was established on a poor sandy soil to compare plant based organic fertilisers, FYM and inorganic fertilisers, each applied at 100 kg ha-1 N. Additionally, FYM was tested at a higher rate of 170 kg ha-1 N. Average soil organic carbon content in topsoil (Corg) of the last crop rotation period (2002-05) is compared to that in 1996. Corg remained at the same level of 0.78 % only with FYM, while plant based and inorganic fertiliser decreased carbon contents to 0.74 and 0.72 % Corg, respectively. The higher FYM rate increased Corg up to 0.84 %. Based on these results, for soil organic matter maintenance, plant based organic fertilisers can not be recommended generally

Simulating soil carbon sequestration from long term fertilizer and manure additions under continuous wheat using the DailyDayCent model

Bangabandhu Fellowship on Science and ICT project, Ministry of Science and Technology, People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Open Access via Springer Compact AgreementPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Soil biological quality of grassland fertilized with adjusted cattle manure slurries in comparison with organic and inorganic fertilizers

We studied the effect of five fertilizers (including two adjusted manure slurries) and an untreated control on soil biota and explored the effect on the ecosystem services they provided. Our results suggest that the available N (NO3- and NH4+) in the soil plays a central role in the effect of fertilizers on nematodes and microorganisms. Microorganisms are affected directly through nutrient availability and indirectly through grass root mass. Nematodes are affected indirectly through microbial biomass and grass root mass. A lower amount of available N in the treatment with inorganic fertilizer was linked to a higher root mass and a higher abundance and proportion of herbivorous nematodes. A higher amount of available N in the organic fertilizer treatments resulted in a twofold higher bacterial activity (measured as bacterial growth rate, viz. thymidine incorporation), a higher proportion of bacterivorous nematodes, a 30% higher potential N mineralization (aerobic incubation), and 25–50% more potentially mineralizable N (anaerobic incubation). Compared to inorganic fertilizer, organic fertilization increased the C total, the N total, the activity of decomposers, and the supply of nutrients via the soil food web. Within the group of organic fertilizers, there was no significant difference in C total, abundances of soil biota, and the potential N mineralization rate. There were no indications that farmyard manure or the adjusted manure slurries provided the ecosystem service “supply of nutrients” better than normal manure slurry. Normal manure slurry provided the highest bacterial activity and the highest amount of mineralizable N and it was the only fertilizer resulting in a positive trend in grass yield over the years 2000–2005. The number of earthworm burrows was higher in the treatments with organic fertilizers compared to the one with the inorganic fertilizer, which suggests that organic fertilizers stimulate the ecosystem service of water regulation more than inorganic fertilizer. The trend towards higher epigeic earthworm numbers with application of farmyard manure and one of the adjusted manure slurries, combined with the negative relation between epigeic earthworms and bulk density and a significantly lower penetration resistance in the same fertilizer types, is preliminary evidence that these two organic fertilizer types contribute more to the service of soil structure maintenance than inorganic fertilize

THE EFFECT OF COMBINATIONS OF ORGANIC MATERIALS AND BIOFERTILISERS ON PRODUCTIVITY, GRAIN QUALITY, NUTRIENT UPTAKE AND ECONOMICS IN ORGANIC FARMING OF WHEAT

Organic farming often has to deal with a scarcity of readily available nutrients, and this is in contrast to chemical farming which relies on soluble fertilisers. The present study was conducted to ascertain the effect of different combinations of organic manures, rice residues and biofertilisers in organic farming of wheat. The field experiments were carried out on the research farm of Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi in 2006-07 and 2007-08. Treatments consisted of a control (no fertiliser) and six fertiliser treatments, namely, farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost (VC), FYM + rice residue (RR), VC + RR, FYM + RR + biofertilisers (B), and VC + RR + B. FYM and VC were applied on nitrogen basis (60 kg ha-1), whereas RR was applied at 6 t ha-1. For biofertilisers, Azotobacter, cellulolytic culture (CC) and phosphate solubilising bacteria (PSB) were used. The combinations of FYM + RR + B and VC + RR + B resulted in the highest increased growth and yield attributing characters of wheat and increased grain yield of wheat over the control by 81% and 89% (Year 1 & Year 2), and net return by 82% and 73%. These combinations were significantly superior to all other combinations for all the growth and yield parameters, yield, net profit and grain quality of wheat. The results of this study show that VC + RR + B was the most productive treatment, while FYM + RR + B was the most economical treatment with respect to increasing net profit. This was because of the higher price of vermicompost compared with FYM. Both of these combinations resulted in improved grain quality and nutrient uptake by grain. The present study thus indicates that a combination of FYM + RR + biofertilisers or VC + RR + biofertilisers hold promise for organic wheat farming

Efficient use of animal manures within an upland organic system (OF0187)

This is the final report of Defra project OF0187. The attached report starts with a detailed Executive Summary, from which this text is a short extract. The aim of this experiment (1999-2001) was to investigate the agronomic effects of applying treated and untreated farmyard manure and slurry to an organically managed, upland clover/ryegrass pasture. Seven main treatments were imposed in a split plot, randomised complete block design, simulating inputs from organic and conventional systems at ADAS Redesdale. The main treatments were; composted (Treatment A) and uncomposted (B) FYM; aerated (C) and unaerated (D) cattle slurry; ammonium nitrate (E); and a zero nitrogen control (F). A further control treatment (G), to which slurry was applied only in 1996, was added to provide a common control treatment during an earlier phase of the experiment. Target application rates were 150 kg total N/ha for untreated slurry and FYM treatments. Following aeration, the same volume of slurry as for the unaerated slurry treatments was applied. Allowing for losses, composted FYM was applied at a rate calculated to supply 80% (120 kg/ha) of total N compared to the untreated FYM treatment. Ammonium nitrate was used as a conventional control treatment, applied at an annual rate of 240 kg/N/ha. To determine the effect of phosphate and potash, one half of the plots were supplemented when soil levels of these nutrients fell below theoretically optimum levels. Highland Slag and Seagreen K were used as organic sources of P and K, while muriate of potash and superphosphate were used on the conventionally managed plots. Application rates were based on the results of soil analysis, according to standard recommendations for organic (Glenside Organics, Ltd) and conventional (Anon. 2000) production. Overall, the results indicate that high clover swards and the return of major nutrients in slurry and FYM can support a high level of productivity from an organically managed pasture, without the requirement for exogenous fertiliser inputs. Under a conservation system of management, it was clear that soil potassium could be a major limiting factor to herbage yield. However, FYM/slurry maintained an acceptable concentration of herbage K, despite a Soil Index of 0/1. The information generated on nutrient cycling, on output and other measures of productivity raises questions as to the optimum level of soil nutrients required for organic production, the role of soil microbial activity and the potential to better exploit composted FYM. The balance of crop offtake from more modest yields, with nutrients released from the soil, may dictate that high levels of extractable nutrients in the soil may not be a prerequisite for good performance from an organic system

Simple models and concepts as tools for the study of sustained soil productivity in long-term experiments. I. New soil organic matter and residual effect of P from fertilizers and farmyard manure in Kabete, Kenya

The rough outcomes of a long-term experiment in Kenya were (re-)interpreted using simple models to find causes of success or failure with regard to sustained soil productivity. A two- pools model calculated the development of soil organic matter, and a practical equation estimated the residual effect of fertilizer P. Relative mineralization rate was 4 and 8% y(-1) for original and newly formed soil organic carbon (SOC). Maize yielded 0.25 and 1.1 t ha(-1) per g kg(-1) of original and new SOC, respectively. Yields of fertilized maize increased initially as a result of increasing residual effects of applied P, but decreased later presumably because SOC declined to below a critical level of 16 g kg(-1). To maintain SOC above this level, about 10 tons of farmyard manure (dry matter) must be applied annually. Agronomic nutrient use efficiencies for fertilizer N and P were low, but the residual effect of P was high. The simple model outlined half a century ago adequately calculated build-up of new soil organic matter. The estimated residual effect of fertilizer P explained increasing crop responses to repeated P applications. The absence of data on nutrient uptake by the crop strongly limited the understanding of the experimental results

Impact of the quality of organic amendments on size and composition of the weed seed bank

In addition to improving the soil quality, organic amendments of soils may affect weed seed survival, emergence, growth and reproduction. This study evaluated the effects of applications of different qualities of organic amendments on size and composition of the weed seed bank in a field under sequential cropping over 4 years. Fertilisation systems tested included farmyard manure, vegetable fruit and garden waste compost, two types of farm compost differing in carbon:nitrogen (C:N) ratio, cattle slurry and mineral fertiliser. All organically amended plots received equal amounts of C. Crop growth was equalised on all plots by applying supplemental mineral N. Seed bank sampling took place in May 2009 to a depth of 10 cm. The weed seed bank was analysed using the seedling emergence method. Despite equal crop growth in fertilised plots, total seed bank density was lowest in plots amended with compost with low C:N ratio and highest in slurry-amended plots. Observed differences in seed bank densities reflected differences in soil organic carbon content and microbial biomass. At plot level, hard-coated seeds in the seed bank (e.g. Chenopodium spp.) were inversely related to soil microbial activity. Observed differential responses of species to applied fertilisers might be attributed to interspecific differences in resistance against microbial seed degradation. Compost-based fertilisation systems could be sustainable tools for incorporation into integrated weed control strategies aiming at depleting the weed seed bank

PROM Khad an efficient source of P to replace the costly chemical Phosphatic Fertilizer

The subsidy on phosphate fertilizers rose to an unacceptable level while alternate cost effective technologies are available. Fertilizer industry needs to develop innovative products using the recent advances in the agricultural sciences. Manure producing industries to be supplied rock phosphate mineral (at subsidized costs) as being supplied to chemical fertilizers industries suitable to produce PROM Khad (Phosphate Rich Organic Manure)

On the Capacity of Multilevel NAND Flash Memory Channels

In this paper, we initiate a first information-theoretic study on multilevel NAND flash memory channels with intercell interference. More specifically, for a multilevel NAND flash memory channel under mild assumptions, we first prove that such a channel is indecomposable and it features asymptotic equipartition property; we then further prove that stationary processes achieve its information capacity, and consequently, as its order tends to infinity, its Markov capacity converges to its information capacity; eventually, we establish that its operational capacity is equal to its information capacity. Our results suggest that it is highly plausible to apply the ideas and techniques in the computation of the capacity of finite-state channels, which are relatively better explored, to that of the capacity of multilevel NAND flash memory channels.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Transactions on Information Theor

Soil Fertility: Organic vs. Conventional Farming Systems in Vojvodina, northern Serbia

The aim of this study was to examine on-farm the influence of organic farming systems on soil fertility, in order to recommend agrotechnical practices that will contribute to increase soil fertility, thus the yield and quality of cultivated plants. The survey was conducted at 7 representative farms in the system of control and certification in Vojvodina, northern Serbia, and within them, 55 production fields with different history of farming practices. Optimal to high soil fertility found in average in all investigated sites indicates that there are necessary natural preconditions for successful organic farming. The results showed high variability in soil fertility, both, between organic farming systems and between different sites. Significant differences in soil fertility between organic and conventional production, have not been found